With the convenience of the Internet, online users frequently share information with other users through various protocols used on the Internet. For example, online users are familiar with hypertext pages, or the so-called “web pages” in which individual users and corporate users (e.g., government entities and private organizations) post information available for use. Other methods of sharing or disseminating information include audio or video data streaming from a web site. A new method of transmitting information over the internet is currently known as web syndication, feeds or “podcast” in which media (e.g., audio or video) content is provided to the user through a subscription paradigm.
A typical online feed or web syndication environment includes a publisher or an author (also known as “podcaster”) announcing a link to his or her media content offerings to a web audience at an online feed aggregation web site. The web audience would then visit the feed aggregation web site and select desirable online feeds or web syndication content by subscribing to the media content offerings of the web author or adding the link to a feed reader. In another existing environment, a media player application provides an online feed guide, which is an aggregation of online feeds, such that the web syndication is within the media player user experience (i.e., no additional graphical user interface (GUI)). A user would then browse, search, and navigate the online feed guide to subscribe to the media content offerings. Once the user has subscribed to the media content offerings, the user would automatically receive the subscribed content or “episodes” of the content once the feed publisher or author announces additional or subsequent offerings under the same link. Other podcasters may host their own web site and offer online feeds via their own personal web sites.
These existing online feeds environments currently distance the podcasters from their subscribers because the podcasters' interaction with potential audience is limited to the act of offering the feeds to the audience. The audience typically does not have ways to communicate with the podcasters to comment on the feeds. Even where the online feeds are offered through the podcasters' personal web sites, the audience is required to browse through the web site to locate podcaster's contact information, if provided, before providing comments or provide feedback to the podcasters.
In particular, the current environment and model does not provide the podcasters with at least one of the following useful information: (1) if a user files a complaint on the feed due to profanity, sexually explicit, or other content; (2) if a user suggested alternate keywords, categories, etc.; (3) how often their feed was returned as a search result; (4) reasons why the feed was not included in the aggregated feed guide (e.g., due to malformed feed format, content not meeting the requirements of the aggregator, etc.); (5) information on which RSS tags they can use and how to use them to improve the quality of the feed; (6) how often a podcast was played; (7) when was a podcast dropped (e.g., an audience downloaded 10 episodes but never watched them—the podcaster knew about the download, but not the actual usage); or (8) how long the average subscriber stays with the subscription—podcasters would like to know how “sticky” their show is. Does audience stay hooked or loyal to the subscription? Or does audience listen to a few episodes and then drop their subscription?